Is
there a true church in the world today? And if so, how can it be
identified? Of all the religious questions facing the modern truth-seeker,
this is certainly the most demanding and also the most frustrating.
Conflicting voices from every quarter declare that they have the answer.
Denominations, sects, and cults make strident claims based upon emotional
interpretations of isolated Bible texts.
The average Christian today
has been so totally turned off by these exaggerated boasts that many have
even discounted the possibility that any "true church" could
really exist. Others have questioned the criteria by which any church
could be tested and rated as "truer" than another.
It is very important to
recognize that no church can be proven superior because its members are
without sin. People are people, and all are subject to the same frailties
of human nature. Yet, it is also true that every Christian has access to
the same mighty power of God for overcoming those frailties. Therefore,
any church today will necessarily be made up of individuals who are at
varying levels of personal sanctification. The wheat and tares will still
be mingled together, and no church will be made up entirely of perfect
people.
But the question remains: Is
there some valid way to identify the church which is closest to the
biblical standards of truth? Some feel that the distinctive name of the
organization will set it apart as the right one. Obviously, this could be
no accurate test, because the choice of a name would reveal nothing about
the spiritual nature of that church. Such shallow claims only serve to
discourage intelligent searchers after the truth.
It must be apparent to all
that if God has a special church in the world today, He will reveal it
clearly and explicitly in His holy Word. The information must be couched
in language that will appeal to human logic and should consist of more
than just vague generalities or insinuations.
I am reluctant to make any
claims for what you are about to read, although I know very well that it
could revolutionize your life. Do not scan or read lightly the material
which follows. I ask only that you study it prayerfully and with an open
mind. Then judge it on the basis of the Scriptures and your own spiritual
convictions. If it is truth, the Holy Spirit will guide you into joyful
recognition of it. My personal feeling is that you will find this
experience to be the most exciting adventure you have ever had in God's
Word.
Our quest for truth will focus
upon the twelfth chapter of Revelation. Limited time and space does not
allow for an exhaustive study, but two principles will be given priority -
accuracy and simplicity. Over twelve hundred years of history must be
dealt with only briefly as we follow the absorbing story of the true
church to its surprising climax. Further confirming evidence for the
historical part of the prophecy has been provided in my book entitled
"The Beast, the Dragon, and the Woman."
THE
WOMAN SYMBOLIZES THE CHURCH
Revelation 12 is basically the
narrative account of a beautiful, sun-clad woman and her descendants.
"And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with
the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve
stars." Revelation 12:1.
Here we are introduced to one
of the most familiar symbols in the Bible. In both the Old and the New
Testaments, God represents His people by a woman. As the bridegroom, He is
married to the church. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, "I have
espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to
Christ." 2 Corinthians 11:2.
All through the Bible we can
follow the record of this symbolism. God said in the Old Testament,
"I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate
woman." Jeremiah 6:2. And again, "Say unto Zion, Thou art my
people." Isaiah 51:16. The church is called Zion and God compares it
with a beautiful woman. In the Old Testament, Israel was the chosen people
so often portrayed as being married to God.
In the New Testament, the true
Israel of God is no longer a nation but a church composed of Jews and
Gentiles who receive Christ as their Saviour. Therefore, the woman of
Revelation 12 flashes us the picture-story of the church at the time of
Christ. The clothing of sunlight typifies the glorious New Covenant of
grace, and the twelve stars represent the twelve apostles. The moon under
her feet indicates the fading glory of the Old Covenant in the presence of
the true Lamb of God.
Now begins the thrilling part!
We are going to follow the unfolding future of that true church of our
Lord Jesus. The next verses vividly delineate the course of truth through
the ages. We want to know where that woman can be found TODAY! Don't miss
a step of the prophecy as we trace the vicissitudes of the true church
right down to the twentieth century!
The first thing we discover is
that the woman is about to give birth to a baby. "And she being with
child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. And there
appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having
seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads...and the
dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to
devour her child as soon as it was born. And she brought forth a man
child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was
caught up unto God, and to his throne." Revelation 12:2-5.
Who is this man-child destined
to rule all nations and who was caught up to heaven? Only one person can
meet this description - Jesus Christ. And who does the dragon represent,
who tried to kill Christ at His birth? It was Herod, the representative of
Rome, who sent out the order for all babies of two years and under to be
slaughtered. Ordinarily, the dragon is used as a symbol of Satan, but in
this case, the devil was working so closely with the Roman power to kill
Jesus that the dragon also symbolizes Rome.
How did Jesus escape the
diabolical decree of Herod? Joseph and Mary were warned of the danger in a
dream and fled to Egypt with the infant. Later, after the death of the
tyrant, they returned and settled in the town of Nazareth.
Even though the devil was
foiled in his initial plot to kill Jesus, he did not abandon his purpose.
Repeatedly, he sought to take the life of Jesus, and finally, he managed
to bring Him to that mockery of a trial where He was tortured, crucified,
and buried. But the grave could not contain the Son of God, and on the
third day He burst out of the tomb. Later, He ascended to His Father in
heaven.
PERSECUTION
OF THE CHURCH
With no direct access to
Jesus, the dragon (Rome) now turned his anger against the followers of
Christ, the church. "And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto
the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man
child." Revelation 12:13.
These words provide only a
tiny hint of the horror of the violence which broke forth against the
apostolic church. Practically all the early disciples and church leaders
were martyred for their faith. Cruel pagan emperors turned the sporting
arenas and coliseums into theaters of death for those who followed the
true gospel.
Soon pagan Rome yielded to
papal Rome, and the persecutions continued with even greater force.
Millions died under the terrible inquisitions which sought to eradicate
all opposition to the papal system. Historians estimate that during the
Dark Ages more that fifty million people laid down their lives rather than
yield up their Protestant faith.
But let's follow the tragic
story in our prophetic outline. Revelation 12:14 tells us what the true
church did as the pressures of persecution built up to a climax. "And
to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly
into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time,
and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent."
In order to escape extinction,
the faithful Protestant refugees fled back into the Alpine mountains and
valleys holding onto the true doctrine delivered by Jesus. Another book of
Acts could be written about the heroism of the Waldenses, Hugenots, and
Albigenses who refused to surrender their faith during those centuries of
fierce oppression. God fought for them, and sometimes the pursuing armies
of Rome were cut off by mysterious avalanches and rock slides. At other
times the mountain streams were reddened by the blood of those faithful
ones who sealed their devotion to the truth with their lives. The
Revelation prophecy gives a symbolic picture of the desperate attempts
made to wipe out those minority Christians who were now in hiding for
their very survival. "And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as
a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the
flood." Revelation 12:15.
How long was the true church
to remain out of sight in the wilderness? The prophecy declares it would
be for "a time, times, and half a time." How mysterious! What is
meant by this strange description of the time period involved? When would
it end? The answer is found in verse 6. "And the woman fled into the
wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed
her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days."
Now the picture begins to
clear up. One verse says the woman was in the wilderness for 1,260 days
and the other verse says she was there for "a time, times, and half a
time." These two periods are equal. This means that a
"time" has to be a year in prophetic symbolism,
"times" is two years, and "half a time" is half a
year. When we add up the one, the two, and the half, we get three and a
half years. And that is equal to exactly 1,260 days, using the Bible
reckoning of 30 days to the month.
There is one more principle of
prophetic interpretation to take into account here. In symbolic Bible
prophecy a day always stands for a year. You will find the key for that
principle in Ezekiel 4:6: "I have appointed thee each day for a
year." It is laid down elsewhere in these words: "...forty days,
each day for a year." Numbers 14:34.
Please note that this applies
only to symbolic prophecy, and cannot be read into other portions of the
Scripture. A day is used for a year only in the setting of an obvious
prophetic context. This places the woman in her wilderness hideaway for
the full period of 1,260 literal years.
Our conclusion must be, then,
that the true church could not appear in the world until the end of the
1,260 years. Did such a thing happen to the true people of God? How long
did the papal power continue to suppress the true doctrines by the
exercise of her religio-political authority?
Here is a fascinating point of
history. In 538 A.D. a decree by Emperor Justinian went into effect which
assigned absolute spiritual preeminence to the church of Rome. Gradually,
this religious tyranny drifted into union with civil powers until
eventually kings were forced to seek permission from the pope before they
could begin to rule. This authority remained in force until the year 1798
when Europe was rocked by the French Revolution. In the subsequent
rebellion of the oppressed peasants against the privileged clergy, the
pope was captured in 1798. The papal property was confiscated, and the
French Directory government decreed that there would be no more Bishop of
Rome. The oppressive rule of the papacy ended exactly 1,260 years after it
was inaugurated in 538 A.D.
THREE
MARKS OF THE TRUE CHURCH
This brings us to a most
important observation. THE TRUE CHURCH COULD NOT APPEAR IN THE WORLD UNTIL
AFTER THE YEAR 1798. It was to remain in hiding until the end of the 1,260
years, and that "wilderness" period ended in 1798. We have
before us now one of the most amazing marks of identification for the true
church. It is not based on some emotional feeling or upon some strained
interpretation of a single Bible text. It is rooted in a prophetic
revelation of a specific time period which can be verified by scores of
historical records. The woman (church) simply could not make her
appearance until the inhibiting powers of papal opposition had been taken
out of the way. That prophesied event took place in 1798, and the truth
which had been clothed in sackcloth now began to emerge from obscurity,
soon to appear as the glorious remnant of the woman.
Now we are brought to an
actual description of the woman as she would appear before the world
sometime after the year 1798. "And the dragon was wroth with the
woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the
commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
Revelation 12:17.
This text is one of the most
crucial to be found in the entire Bible. Nowhere is there a more concise
description of the last-day remnant of the original apostolic faith as it
was preserved through the ages. Here is an actual verbal definition of the
true church for the twentieth century. It is so important that we are
going to analyze every word in order to extract the full meaning. If the
true church can be discovered at all in the Bible, this will be the verse
to reveal it.
"AND THE DRAGON..."
Who is the dragon? There can be no question on this point. In Revelation
12:9 the dragon is called "the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the
whole world."
"WAS WROTH..." What
does that mean? "Wroth" is the Old English word for
"angry." It simply means that Satan was angry. Whom was he angry
with? "WROTH WITH THE WOMAN..." Who was the woman? We have
already found that she is the true apostolic church, representing the
great, original teachings of Jesus.
"AND WENT TO MAKE WAR
WITH THE REMNANT OF HER SEED..." Here a new word is introduced into
the picture. Satan is going to fight against the REMNANT of the true
church. What is a remnant? It is the last end piece on a bolt of cloth. It
is exactly like the first piece that came off the bolt, but it happens to
be at the very end and is always a small piece.
What does this tell us about
the remnant of the woman? It is the last part of the true church, at the
very end of time, which will be holding the exact same doctrines as did
the early, apostolic church. But let's read on.
"WHICH KEEP THE COMMAND-MENTS
OF GOD..." What command-ments would this be referring to? This
designates the great moral law written by the finger of God on tables of
stone. The Ten Commandments reflect the character of God, reveal His will
for all His creatures, and form the basis for all morality and true
worship.
Here we are confronted with
the second intriguing mark of identification of the true church. Not only
must it arise some time after the year 1798, but on the authority of the
Word of God, it would have to be keeping all the Ten Commandments of God.
But now let's finish reading
this fantastic verse. "AND HAVE THE TESTIMONY OF JESUS CHIRST."
Here is another characteristic of the true remnant. Not only will this
last-day church arise after 1798 and keep all the Ten Commandments, but it
will have the testimony of Jesus. But what is the testimony of Jesus? That
is an unfamiliar phrase, and we need more than human wisdom to uncover its
meaning.
Notice how the Bible
specifically defines this expression for us. If this text truly contains
the heart of ultimate truth for us, the Word of God would have to clarify
every part of it. The definition is provided by the word of an angel sent
all the way from heaven to explain it to John. "I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus:
worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
Revelation 19:10.
There it is! We know now
without a shadow of doubt that the testimony of Jesus is the SPIRIT OF
PROPHECY. And this is the third great mark of identity for the last-day
true church!
Let me ask you something: Does
a spirit of excitement rise up in you as these plain Biblical statements
zero in on the most sought-after secret in the Word of God? We are getting
closer and closer to identifying the special people of god in our day and
their special message. And we are doing it by allowing the Bible to make
the identification. We have not fabricated a single one of these three
definitive characteristics. No one can honestly challenge their
application to the end-time church of Jesus Christ. That remnant church
will have to possess all three of these biblical tags of identity:
1. ARISE AFTER 1798
2. KEEP ALL THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS
3. HAVE THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY
I know that some are already
puzzling over that third mark. The "spirit of prophecy" is just
about as incomprehensible as the "testimony of Jesus." But stay
with me, and we will get the explanation for that point very shortly.
A
FOURTH IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTIC
Right now I would like to add
a fourth crucial mark of identification to our list. We have found this
church to be the last, end-piece of historic truth. It will be proclaiming
the final message of God just before Jesus returns. In fact, if God has
any kind of special counsel or warning for the world at the end of time,
He would surely give that message through His last-day remnant church. I
think we can all see the logic of this conclusion.
Does God indeed have such a
message, and is it identified clearly in the Bible? Jesus indicated that
the proclaiming of a certain definite truth would immediately precede the
conclusion of human history. Listen to His words: "And this gospel of
the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all
nations; and then shall the end come." Matthew 24:14.
The last sign of Christ's
coming will be a worldwide preaching of the "gospel of the
kingdom." After that, the end will come. Now follow me closely. John
the Revelator actually saw in vision the fulfillment of Christ's words. He
wrote, "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having
the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to
every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud
voice..." Revelation 14:6,7.
The next few verses describe
precisely what that special last proclamation of the gospel will consist
of. Then, immediately, John said, "And I looked, and behold a white
cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his
head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle...and he that sat on
the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was
reaped." Revelation 14:14-16.
Did you catch that? The end
comes just as soon as this particular "gospel" message has gone
to every nation on earth. Jesus said the same thing, "this
gospel...shall be preached in all the world...and then shall the end
come."
I submit to you that whatever
this message is, it has to be the most urgent and compelling one that
human ears have ever heard. Both John and Jesus testify that upon
completion it will usher in the glorious kingdom of Christ.
Can we know what that final
warning will contain? John spelled it out so simply that none need be in
doubt. "Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him;
for the hour of his judgment is come." Revelation 14:7. Notice that a
part of this last call of God will be announcing that the judgment has
already started. "IS COME," not "will come." We must
look and listen for the preaching of such a pre-advent judgment message to
all nations of the earth.
The next part of the first
angel's message is this: "And worship him that made heaven, and
earth, and the sea, and the fountains of water." Revelation 14:7.
Does that sound familiar? It should, for it is quoted almost word for word
right from the fourth commandment of the decaloque, which strongly
indicates that the Sabbath will be a part of the "gospel"
proclamation which must go to the whole world just before the end.
How do you worship God as the
Creator? Right in the heart of the Ten Commandments God wrote the answer:
"For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all
that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed
the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 20:11.
True worship stems from a
recognition of God's creative power and authority, and the Sabbath is
God's own established sign that He is the maker of everything. Over and
over throughout the Bible God claims worship BECAUSE He created all
things. "thou are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and
power: FOR THOU HAST CREATED ALL THINGS." Revelation 4:11.
God challenged the false gods
repeatedly because they could not create. "The gods that have not
made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth...He
hath made the earth by his power." Jeremiah 10: 11, 12. "God
himself...formed the earth and made it...I am the Lord; and there is none
else." Isaiah 45:18.
The Sabbath was instituted by
God as a great reminder-sign of His sovereign authority as the only God to
be worshipped. The Creator set in motion the arbitrary cycle of the
seven-day week to mark off the true Sabbath, so that the world would be
without excuse in knowing whom to worship and when. Thus the first angel's
message called for men to "worship him that made heaven, and earth,
and the sea" - a call to true Sabbath-keeping.
The second and third angels'
messages described by John can be summarized briefly: "Babylon is
fallen... If any man worship the beast...and receive his mark in his
forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of
God." Revelation 14:8-10. Contrary to the opinion of many, this
plain, bold preaching of the beast message is included in the everlasting
gospel of God's kingdom. Even warnings against the mark of the beast will
be heralded to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. THEN THE END
WILL COME!
We are now prepared to add a
fourth characteristic to the list of three others. The true remnant church
of the last days will surely be used of God to carry His final warning
message to all inhabitants of planet earth. That message will include (a)
the judgment hour is come, (b) true Sabbath worship, (c) the fall of
spiritual Babylon, and (d) the mark of the beast.
This completes the amazing
array of specific characteristics of the twentieth century's true church:
1. ARISES AFTER 1798
2. KEEPS ALL TEN COMMAND-
MENTS
3. HAS THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY
4. PREACHES THE MESSAGE OF
THREE ANGELS (Revelation 14) ON A WORLD-WIDE SCALE
Could any thinking person be
indifferent toward what we have discovered thus far? We have in our hands
right now the key to unlock one of the most fantastic spiritual secrets in
the world. God has concentrated all the clues in this one, tremendous,
prophetic chapter of Revelation. Look at the marks of identification. This
is God's list, not mine. I simply lifted them from the inspired pages of
God's Book. What do they tell us about the true church today?
First of all, it could not
have arisen before 1798. This eliminates most of the great popular
Protestant churches of the world. Practically all of them were formed
before 1798. Secondly, it would have to be a church which keeps all the
Ten Commandments. At first glance, this would seem to be a very poor
definitive test for discovering which church is right. Surely all of them
would teach and practice obedience to the great moral law of God - or
would they? The fact is that very few contemporary denominations even lay
claim to keeping all the Ten Commandments. Most of them admit freely that
they do not observe the seventh-day Sabbath required by the fourth
commandment. They observe the first day of the week instead of the
Sabbath.
MOST
CHURCHES FAIL THE BIBLICAL TEST
Doesn't that seem strange? God
wrote with His own hand, "the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord
thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work." Exodus 20:10. No one has
ever been confused about the day God sanctified and commanded. All
preachers and churches freely admit that Saturday is the seventh day of
the week. Yet most of them are transgressing the commandment of God every
week by blatantly doing work on the Sabbath, which God has prohibited.
To compensate for the breaking
of the seventh-day Sabbath, they have substituted another day - the first
day of the week - in place of the one God commanded.
How do they justify such
willful manipulation of the great moral law of God? The situation is
astounding no matter how we view it! Many churches brush aside the Ten
Commandments as mere ceremonial rules of Moses and teach that they were
abolished at the cross! Others take the position that all the Ten Command-ments,
EXCEPT THE SABBATH, were carried over into the New Testament. In either
case, the fourth commandment, containing the special sign of God's
creative and redemptive power, has been rejected and desecrated.
Yet we have just discovered
that the true church will be distinguished for keeping the commandments.
Mark it down: according to the clear teaching of the Bible, no church
could be the remnant of the woman unless it keeps the seventh-day Sabbath
as well as all the other nine commandments. Suddenly, we see the vast
majority of those who passed the first test failing to meet the second.
But now we move on to the
third requirement of the prophecy. The last-day remnant church must have
the spirit of prophecy manifested in it. What does that mean? Without
doubt this particular flag of identity is the most important one on our
list. We shall discover that this involves more than merely understanding
and preaching prophecy.
Finally, this special church
will be distinguished by the unique message it proclaims to all nations on
earth - the judgment is begun, the seventh day is the Sabbath, Babylon is
fallen, and warnings against the mark of the beast.
Before we say more about any
modern church system which might match these inspired characteristics, let
us return to identifying point number three, which still has not been
fully explained.
THE
SPIRIT OF PROPHECY
Under the inspiration of God,
John declared that the remnant of the woman would have the "testimony
of Jesus." Since that expression is somewhat ambiguous, John later
gave a clarification which still leaves much to be desired. He said
simply, "The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
Revelation 19:10.
At least this is moving in the
right direction, but we must now discover what John means by that
expression, "spirit of prophecy." Whatever it is ranks high with
God, because He designates it as one of the ways by which to recognize His
true church in these last days.
The picture begins to clear up
when we examine the full context of the statement. An angel appears to
John, and John falls upon the ground in awe and admiration. Said the
Revelator, "And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto
me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that
have the testimony of Jesus: worship God; for the testimony of Jesus is
the spirit of prophecy." Revelation 19:10.
In this verse, please notice
who is described as having the testimony of Jesus, or the spirit of
prophecy. Only John's "brethren" are identified as having it.
Now we must seek for some further information as to who John's brethren
were. The Word does not fail us. In Revelation 22:8, 9 John repeats the
story of the angel and adds a little more detail. "And I John saw
these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down
to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then
saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of
thy brethren the prophets...worship God." John's brethren were the
prophets, and they alone are said to have the spirit of prophecy.
Suddenly, the whole puzzle
falls into place. The only ones who had the spirit of prophecy were the
prophets themselves. If just knowing prophecy and preaching it could be
called the "spirit of prophecy," then many modern teachers and
evangelists might qualify. But the Bible makes it exceedingly clear that
it is the actual ability to prophesy. In other words, it is the gift of
prophecy. Only the prophets had it.
This fact is supported by the
apostle Paul. "That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all
utterance, and in all knowledge; Even as the testimony of Christ (spirit
of prophecy) was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift;
waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians
1:5-7.
Here the testimony of Jesus is
called a "gift" instead of the "spirit" of prophecy.
And the implication is very strong that the gift will be in operation at
the return of our Saviour.
With this inspired insight
from Paul we are back on familiar ground again. We have no problem with
the term "gift of prophecy." The New Testament epistles are
filled with references to all the gifts of the Spirit, including the gift
of prophecy. Paul told the church at Ephesus just how and when the gifts
were bestowed: "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he
led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." Ephesians 4:8.
Little comment is needed on
this. It is a well-known fact that when Jesus returned to heaven He left
certain special "gifts" or abilities with His people on earth.
In fact, they are named: "And he gave some, apostles; and some,
prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers."
Ephesians 4:11.
For what reason did Jesus
endow certain ones in the church with these appropriate spiritual gifts?
"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for
the edifying of the body of Christ." Ephesians 4:12. He did it to
build up the believers and strengthen the church. These gifts were to
mature and perfect the leaders of the body of Christ as they sought to
edify the members.
The next verse tells exactly
how long those gifts would be needed in the church. "Till we all come
in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a
perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of
Christ." Ephesians 4:13.
If language has any meaning at
all, these words convey one idea very clearly. All the gifts which Christ
placed with His church were to continue operating until the very end of
time. They would be needed to bring the church to perfection and to the
fulness of Christ's stature.
Dare we ask the next obvious
question? Where are these gifts today? If they were intended by our Lord
to do their sanctifying work right down to the end of time, then they
should all be seen operating in the churches around us. Let's inquire if
they are. Do we find teachers in most churches today? The answer is yes.
What about pastors and evangelists? Practically all denominations have
them. What can we say about apostles? Since this word literally means
"missionaries," (coming from a Greek word meaning "one who
is sent"), again we can say that most modern churches qualify on this
particular gift.
So far, so good. But we have
one more inquiry - what about prophets? From most religious quarters there
is no ready reply to this question. Practically no church claims that such
a thing has ever been a part of its ministry.
But why? If all the other
gifts are necessary, why should prophets not be necessary as well? It was
certainly counted so in the early church. In fact, all the spiritual gifts
were very much in evidence, according to the book of Acts. "Now there
were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as
Barnabas, and Simeon...." Acts 13:1. Here we have evidence that two
of the gifts, teachers and prophets, were a part of the church at Antioch.
Then in Acts 21:9 we read that a "man had four daughters, virgins,
which did prophesy." Notice that these four women from one family
were appointed by the Spirit to be prophetesses. They had the spirit of
prophecy.
WHY
DID PROPHETS DISAPPEAR FROM THE CHURCH?
It is obvious that all the
gifts were operating equally in the apostolic age and immediately
afterward. But why did the gift of prophecy seem to drop out of sight
after two or three hundred years into the Christian era? We do not have
the same record of it through the ages as we do the other gifts. Why don't
we find prophets in all the churches of today along with pastors,
teachers, etc.?
We dare not avoid the question
as so many millions of Christians are currently doing. The Word of God
meets the issue head-on and pulls no punches in the process. It is easy to
see why most churches try to ignore the absence of this gift in their
midst, especially when we discover the reason for its absence.
That post-apostolic period is
not the first time that the spirit of prophecy had been removed from among
God's people. The truth is that God was dealing with the church then in
the same way He had always dealt with His people. All through the Old
Testament God led and instructed them by two divine agencies - the law and
the prophets. Through the prophet Jeremiah God spoke to Israel, "If
ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,
To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto
you... Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a
curse to all the nations of the earth." Jeremiah 26:4-6.
The LAW and PROPHETS! The two
go together. Not only do they refer to the writings of Scripture, but they
also refer to the two means of divine guidance. "Keep my law and hear
my prophets" was the requirement of God. And the sacred record
indicates that if they rejected one of those divine agencies, God would
remove the other also, because they were actually rejecting His
leadership. On numerous occasions the children of Israel turned away from
the law of God, only to find the prophetic voice silenced as well.
Jeremiah wrote, "The law
is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the Lord."
Lamentations 2:9. Ezekiel put it this way: "Then shall they seek a
vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and
counsel from the ancients." Ezekiel 7:26. The wise man laid down the
very same principle: "Where there is no vision, the people perish:
but he that keepeth the law, happy is he." Proverbs 29:18.
In times of open disobedience
of His law, God used the prophets only to rebuke and to call back, not for
counsel or guidance. When they turned from the law, they understood that
they were also forfeiting the only other avenue by which they could
receive divine direction. In his apostasy Saul cried out, "God is
departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by
dreams." 1 Samuel 28:15.
We have a perfect example of
this in Ezekiel 20:3 when the people came to inquire after God's counsel.
"Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus
saith the Lord God; Are ye come to enquire of me? As I live, saith the
Lord God, I will not be enquired of by you." Why would He not answer
them in this case? Verses 11-13 give the answer: "And I gave them my
statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even
live in them. Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between
me and them, that they might know that I am the Lord that sanctify them.
But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked
not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he
shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I
said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume
them."
Surely we can see that the
reason God gave no divine direction was because they had forsaken His law
and had broken His Sabbath. It was the violation of the fourth commandment
which especially provoked the displeasure of God.
Now we are prepared to deal
with the question of prophets in the New Testament, and why they
disappeared after two or three centuries. What happened to God's law at
the very same time the gift of prophecy disappeared from the church? The
history of that early period shows that the Sabbath was set aside in favor
of the pagan day of the sun. A disgraceful compromise with heathen
sun-worship led to an open rejection of the true seventh-day Sabbath. And
when this happened, God did exactly what He had always done before when
His people turned from His holy law; He withdrew the guidance of the
spirit of prophecy. Prophets disappeared from the church.
This brings us face to face
with an exciting and challenging question. Is there reason to believe that
when the church restores the law and begins to observe the Sabbath again,
that God will also restore the gift of prophecy to the church? This leads
us right back to that dynamic prophecy of Revelation 12 and God's
description of the true remnant. Now, for the first time, we can see the
full significance of that seventeenth verse: "And the dragon was
wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed,
which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus
Christ."
Do you see it? The law, so
long neglected, is right back where it belongs - in the church. And hand
in hand with the law is the testimony of Jesus, which is the spirit of
prophecy. Think of it! The law and the prophets get back together again in
the last remnant piece of God's true apostolic church! All the gifts are
again operating as they did in the days before the apostasy.
Remember that a remnant has to
be exactly like the original except that it is on the very end, and it is
a small piece. This fantastic prophecy reveals that there will be an
end-time restoration of the faith of the apostles. The same Sabbath will
be restored. The same gifts of the spirit will be manifested, and all the
great apostolic doctrines will be stripped of the effects of 1,260 years
of papal distortion.
A church, called the remnant,
must appear on the scene some time after 1798. It will restore the
foundation of many generations by keeping the Sabbath, the same one that
Jesus made for man during creation week, and the same Sabbath He observed
when He was on the earth. In that church will be manifested the true gift
of prophecy. Under the anointing of unusual spiritual blessing and power
that remnant church will carry the special last warning message of
Revelation 14 to all the countries in the world. As we have already
discovered, this glorious gospel of the three angels includes the
present-hour judgment, the Sabbath, the fall of Babylon, and the beast
message.
This church is identified
again by John in these words: "Here is the patience of the saints:
here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of
Jesus." Revelation 14:12. Do not overlook the fact that these
commandment-keeping saints are empowered to do what they do only by
trusting Jesus. When you find them, they will not be boasting of their
righteousness, or depending on their good works to save them. Above all
people they will have a loving, personal relationship with the Saviour
they worship. Their obedience will be based solely upon the merits of
Christ's imputed and imparted righteousness. They will keep the
commandments because they have been saved by grace and not to gain any
favor with God.
By this time you are probably
in a state of excited curiosity as to whether any church in existence can
meet the incredible conditions laid down in the Bible. Many claim to be
the true church, but their claims are not based upon the requirements of
the Word of God. Only those who fit the four specific marks outlined in
the book of Revelation can be qualified for consideration. Just suppose we
could find only one church in the world today which meets all these
Biblical tests. Could we expect it to be a perfect church with flawless
members in it? On the contrary, it would surely be composed of average men
and women, subject to the same failings as all other human beings. It
would have to be a comparatively small church to meet the criteria of
"remnant." Jesus said the way of truth was narrow and "few
there be that find it." Matthew 7:14. Again He declared, "And as
it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of
man." Luke 17:26. None should be deceived by trusting great numbers,
the majority. The saved will be comparable to the eight souls taken into
the ark at the time of the great flood. Truth has never been popular, and
it will be less so in the final age of sensual pleasure and materialism.
The remnant church will not be found among the great, popular churches
with their indulgent life-styles. Said Jesus, "If any man will come
after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow
me." Matthew 16:24.
Paul's counsel was: "Come
out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord." 2
Corinthians 6:17. To Titus he wrote, "For the grace of God that
bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and
godly...a peculiar people, zealous of good works." Titus 2:11-14.
These and many other related
verses seem to indicate that the true church of the last days will be
looked upon by the world in the same manner that Jesus and His followers
were esteemed in their day. Since the remnant is merely an extension of
the great original, it will be despised by the majority, counted as
peculiar, and finally, like the early church, as worthy of death. The book
of Revelation exposes a diabolical plan of the end-time "beast"
power to enforce a mark on every individual, and those who will not
receive that mark will be condemned to death. As you might suspect at this
point, those who resist that beast mark will be those who "keep the
commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus." Revelation 14:12.
In other words, the remnant church.
Again, it must be emphasized
that all those who belong to the remnant church will not necessarily be
saved. Like all other churches it consists of ordinary people who must
maintain a constant saving relationship with Jesus Christ. It is
undoubtedly true that there will be people saved and lost out of all
denominations and sects. Every person will be judged on the basis of
revealed truth, and how he obeyed what he knew. Members of the remnant
church will have great light, and they will be judged accordingly. Many
will fail the test, because they depend on their knowledge of the truth
rather than the saving merits of Christ's righteousness. This is why it is
altogether possible for many even in the "remnant" church to be
lost. Others who have not so great light will be accepted if they know
Jesus and walk in all the light that has been revealed.
But after making those
observations, we must also concede that God has a special church with a
special message which is designated as the "remnant" of the
woman. It will appear near the end, holding the same doctrines as did the
apostolic church, keeping all the Ten Commandments (including the
Sabbath), having the gift of prophecy, and preaching Revelation 14 to the
entire world.
DOES
ANY CHURCH MEET THE FOUR TESTS?
Is there such a church in the
world right now which meets all the requirements of these Biblical texts?
God does not leave us to wonder. He has made the marks so distinct and
clear and simple in the Bible that all can know what to look for. Is it
difficult to match the four great distinguishing signs with the hundreds
of confusing church names and bodies? Not at all.
How many of those churches
arose after 1798? A small minority. And how many of this minority are
keeping all the Ten Commandments, including the Sabbath? Very few. They
can be counted on the fingers of one hand. How many of these few also have
the spirit of prophecy? And finally, how many are proclaiming the three
angels' messages of Revelation 14 in all the countries and languages of
earth?
The sifting and eliminating
has led us down to just one church, believe it or not. It would be less
than honest to leave you hanging at this juncture, wondering if God had
described some impossible, hybrid church that would never exist. Out of
all the ecclesiastical systems in existence at this date, there is only
one that fully meets the Biblical criteria of the remnant.
This must be our conclusion
based upon historical facts and not because we have any axe to grind for
some particular church. The inspired record of Revelation 12 contains no
emotional bias toward any existing church. The most disinterested person
would have to come to the same conclusion after examining the full,
prophetic picture. This leaves no room for boasting or pride. The secret
was not revealed by any man but by the Word of God.
As we name the church, it must
be with some trepidation. There will always be a few ready to charge us
with sectariansim in spite of the undeniable evidence before us. Others
will allow personal prejudice to rob them of this glorious truth.
The only church fulfilling the
prophetic description of the true remnant is the Seventh-day Adventist
church. Arising around 1844 this movement of destiny began the predicted
program of restoring the truth which had been lost or distorted during the
Dark Ages. One after another of the original doctrines of Christ and the
early church were returned to their former luster and beauty. As the
authority of the law and the Sabbath was re-established, God did exactly
what He had promised to do: He restored the beautiful spirit of prophecy
to the remnant church. That gift was manifested through the life and
teachings of Mrs. Ellen G. White. This young woman, with only a grammar
school education, received special revelations that extended over a period
of more than six decades. From her inspired pen poured more than seventy
books, many of which were acclaimed by the highest secular critics to be
matchless in form and content.
Although the gift of prophecy
served in a powerful manner to give impetus to the new movement, it
professed only to be a "lesser light" to the sovereign authority
of the Holy Scriptures. In harmony with the Bible rule to "try the
spirits," every manifestation had to be tested by the Word of God.
"To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this
word, it is because there is no light in them." Isaiah 8:20. Had her
writings not conformed to the Bible in every respect, they would have been
rejected as counterfeit, but they spoke in perfect agreement with the
Scriptures. In no way have they been considered a part of the sacred canon
of Scripture. Though inspired by the same Spirit, they do not add to nor
take away from the Holy Writ, but like a magnifying glass they bring out
the beauty and truth of the Word.
Perhaps the greatest wonder of
all is how the emerging remnant church, in the providence of God, settled
upon the very same doctrines of Revelation 14 - the ones specified by
Jesus and John as the final message - as the heart of its teaching. But
there is yet another miracle! How could that infant church, with only a
few hundred members in 1860, reach out with its unpopular message and
evangelize every country in the world? Yet, that is exactly what has
happened! The work of Seventh-day Adventists has been established in
countries representing 98.5 percent of the world population. And every one
of these unique doctrines of Revelation 14, including the judgment, the
Sabbath, and the beast message, is being witnessed to those nations.
There are several churches
which qualify on the first point of identity, and there are a few who fit
the second also; but, it is a singular fact that only one church conforms
perfectly to all four points. With a simplicity and logic that appeals to
human reason, God has fulfilled His promise to guide us into all truth.
The next move must be up to us. What will we do about the persuasive
conclusions to which we have been led?
No one can avoid making a
decision over this kind of truth. We can decide to accept it, or reject
it. We can choose to obey or disobey. But one thing is certain - you can
never be the same again, no matter which decision you make. Conviction has
a way of staying with us even when we try to ignore or banish it. You can
never forget the things you have learned about the true church. You are
now in possession of the most sought-after secret in the whole Bible.
I would urge you not to make a
decision to accept it just because it has convinced you intellectually. No
one should join the church, which is the body of Christ, unless they have
been drawn spiritually into a relationship with Jesus. Behind the
fantastic prophecy of the true remnant I want you to see the Lamb of God
dying on the cross in your place. He hangs there because of sin - because
someone did not love Him enough to obey Him. "If ye love me, keep my
commandments." John 14:15.
We can't obey Him until we
have knelt, broken-hearted because of our sin, and accepted Him as Lord
and Saviour. Love for Him provides both the motive and the power to
fulfill His word. If you haven't accepted Him already, make that your
first decision. Then under the strength of that new love relationship
follow Him into service as a member of the true remnant church.
